Paper perforating device

ABSTRACT

An inexpensive and portable plastic check perforating apparatus is formed by a single plastic layer with an integral hinge which permits the apparatus to fold flat forming opposing faces adapted to receive paper therebetween. Opposing faces are equipped with a pattern of rigid teeth and mating holes for perforating the check when the faces are pressed together.

United States Patent [1 1 Duff et al.

[ 1 July 31, 1973 PAPER PERFORATING DEVICE [76] Inventors: Joseph HowardDuff, 2521 Branford Ave., Union, NJ. 07083; Paul Joseph Smith, 1 138Maple Ct., Mountainside, NJ. 07092 [22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 129,480

[52] U.S. Cl. 30/358, 101/26 [51] Int. Cl B261 1/00 [58] Field of Search30/358; 220/315;

[56] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 1915 Stevens 30/358 Dick30/358 3,579,883 5/1971 Hayes... 220/31 S 3,612,233 10/1971 Nagpal....

553,889 2/1896 Zanderm. 1,579,758 4/1926 Fields 1,943,404 1/1934 Weston101/26 Primary Examiner james L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-Herbert M. Shapiro[5 7 ABSTRACT An inexpensive and portable plastic check perforatingapparatus is formed by a single plastic layer with an integral hingewhich permits the apparatus to fold flat forming opposing faces adaptedto receive paper therebetween. Opposing faces are equipped with apattern of rigid teeth and mating holes for perforating the check whenthe faces are pressed together.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJULB! rm SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG.

FIG. 2

PAIENIEUJULIH I913 3' 74 ,737

SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG. 3

PAPER PERFORATING DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relatesto paper perforating devices and more particularly to such devicesadapted to perforate, for example a check in a pattern which preventsalteration of writing thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known that a pattern of holes ina check is useful to prevent alteration of the writing thereon. Manydevices are available for producing a desired pat tern of holes toprevent such alteration. Unfortunately, the available devices are madeof metal typically with hinged or spring loaded members which arecostly, bulky, and heavy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A check protection device has beenachieved from a single piece of plastic comprising two planar membershinged together at a fold which has a cross section reduced in a mannerto permit the two members to lie flat against one another with onlynegligible tendency to open. An attractive portable device resultsconveniently carried as an attachment to a pocket checkbook. Theplastic, although flexible, includes rigid conical teeth on one of theopposing faces of the members and mating cylindrical recesses in a mesaarea on the other to perforate a check positioned therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING rangement of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are plan views of portions of an alternativearrangement in accordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows a check perforator in accordance withthis invention. The perforator comprises two essentially planar plasticmembers 11 and 12 hinged together at 13.

Memberll includes a mesaportion 14 on its inside face as shown inFIG. 1. The mesa is positioned, for illustrative check perforatingapplications, to correspond to the location of the amount to be paid aswritten on a check the edge of which is placed along hinge 13. The mesaincludes recesses 16 which may be arranged in a coordinate array or in adesign as shown to correspond to the letters I and R etc., in thefigure. In either case, the recesses are arranged to receive a patternof teeth 17 formed on the inside face of memher 12. When a check isplaced with its edge at hinge l3, and the two planar members are urgedtogether, the teeth enter the mating recesses thus perforating thecheck.

The perforator is intended as an attachment to a pocket checkbook. Tothis end, the perforator illustratively includes hook elements 19 and 20formed from member 12 and extending into a plane lower than the lowersurface of element 12 as viewed. Hook elements 19 and 20 aresufficiently resilient to permit a checkbook cover to be disposedbetween the elements on the one hand and bottom surface of member 12 onthe other.

Of course, in order for perforator 10 to be carried as part of acheckbook conveniently it must satisfy a variety of criteria in additionto being inexpensive and disposable. For example, the perforator is tobe lightweight and flexible and should remain ina closed positionwithout tending to open. The thinner the plastic, the less the weightand the more flexible the perforator. But the perforation of a check isperformed with greater and greater difficulty the thinner the plasticbecause of the difficulty of maintaining the teeth and recesses ingeometrically stable configuration. Moreover, a minimum thickness forthe plastic is imposed by the height of teeth 17 of FIG. 1. Certainly,the teeth, could not protrude beyond the recesses during the perforationoperation without being uncomforatable for a thumb pressing member 11against member 12 during the operation.

The apparently conflicting requirements are resolved by the inclusion ofmesa 14. The use of the mesa permits planar member 11 to be reduced inthickness almost to a film. The relatively thick recess bearing mesa onthe inside face of the film receives the arrangement of teeth on theinside face of the other member. All that is required of the planarmembers is that they are capable of retaining the teeth and the recessesin a sufficiently stable configuration to enable them to mate whenpressed together, a requirement met by the mesa portion. If both theplanar members are film like, teeth 17 too may be formed on a mesa (notshown) such as 14 in FIG. 1. If member 12, on the other hand, issufficiently thick to retain the arrangement of teeth in theconfiguration desired, member 12 does not require such a mesa.

Particularly, if both members 11 and 12 are sufficiently thick to bedimensionably stable (in the absence of mesas), the hinge 13 is formedsuch that when the perforator is open and lying flat, the inside andoutside faces of the members are in first and second planes,respectively, and the hinge area is formed by a reduction in thethickness of the plastic from only the outside face. This is shown inFIG. 2 where the hinge is shown of reduced cross section. For closure,member 11 is moved counter-clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 intojuxtaposition with member 12, remaining normally in this closed positionunless opened. Member 11 includes a lip 21 which protudes beyond member12 when the perforator is closed in order to facilitate opening of theperforator for operation. Even in the case where members 11 and 12 aresufficiently thick'to be dimensionally stable, the thickness of member11 may still be too thin to receive the teeth on member 12 and a mesasuch as 14 of FIG. 1 is beneficial.

A typical perforator as shown in FIG. 1 has dimensions about the size ofa normal check when closed. For example, each of members 11 and 12 arenominally 2 and k by 6 inches by 50/1000 of an inch thick. The overalldimensions are shown in FIG. 1 and 2. The mesa is typically 9/16 of aninch by 4 and 3/16 inches having an elevation of 20/1000 of an inch andrecesses 60/1000 deep. Teeth 17 are illustratively right angle cones50/1000 long.

Teeth l7 and, if desired, recesses 16 may be arranged to produce apattern of holes which corresponds to the name of a bank, a personsname,'or a general logo such as PROTEXOCHECK. Moreover, the arrangementof FIG. 1 may be adapted in accordance with this invention for changingthe pattern of holes produced by the perforation operation. For example,for members 11 and 12 having thicknesses of about 55/1000, a slot 23 maybe provided for receiving tooth holders 24 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.Individual holders 24 may be fashioned to include a pattern of teeth forpunching a single letter of the alphabet, a number of holders beingassembled as shown in FIG. 3. A similar slot 26 may be provided forholders 27 of FIG. where recesses may be fashioned in the form ofletters if desired for mating with the teeth of holders 24. Holders 27may be formed to define mesas when assembled. Alternatively, slot 23 maycomprise separate areas in the planar member into which holders 24 or 27may be secured by a snap fit.

The invention has been described in terms of a check protectingarrangement. It should be apparent, on the other hand, that otherrequirements may be fulfilled with a device of this type. If, forexample, holders 27 are'designed to include a single large hole each andholders 24 are designed to include a single large tooth in the form of aplateau, the proper placement of holders 24 in FIG. 3 provides aportable paper punch for forming ring holes for notebook paper.

A paper perforating device in accordance with this invention can be madeby familiar injection mold processes, liquid plastic being forcedbetween two plates of the mold formed to define therebetween, say, the

structure of FIG. 1 The plates are water cooled, and the finishedproduce is ejected when the cooled plates are separated.

What has been described is considered only illustrative of theprinciples of this invention. Therefore, modifications can be devised bythose skilled in the art in accordance with those priciples within thespirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A check canceling device comprising first and second plastic memberscontaining a pattern of plastic teeth and mating recesses respectivelyfor perforating a check positioned therebetween when said members areurged into juxtaposition about an axis, said teeth and recesses beingformed in relatively thick mesa portions of said first and secondmembers respectively facing inwardly towards on another, said mesaportion of said second member being of sufficient thickness to avoidpenetration of said teeth therethrough, the remaining portions of saidmembers being substantially thinner than said mesa portions having athickness less than that at which planar dimensional stability ismaintained said mesa portion of said first member includes a slotarrangement housing a plurality of elements bearing different patternsof teeth. =1:

1. A check canceling device comprising first and second plastic memberscontaining a pattern of plastic teeth and mating recesses respectivelyfor perforating a check positioned therebetween when said members areurged into juxtaposition about an axis, said teeth and recesses beingformed in relatively thick mesa portions of said first and secondmembers respectively facing inwardly towards on another, said mesaportion of said second member being of sufficient thickness to avoidpenetration of said teeth therethrough, the remaining portions of saidmembers being substantially thinner than said mesa portions having athickness less than that at which planar dimensional stability ismaintained said mesa portion of said first member includes a slotarrangement housing a plurality of elements bearing different patternsof teeth.